Urban Farming segment on CBC's Fresh Air Today!

Our friend Angie Koch (of Fertile Ground CSA) was interviewed today on CBC radio's Fresh Air program. The segment featured a story about urban farmers and Angie is an excellent example of someone who did not grow up on a farm, but believes in quality food, sustainable agriculture, and community - and now, though living in a city (Kitchener) she is farming on the outskirts and bringing her produce back downtown to her loyal and growing customer base. Here's the link to the CBC feature: http://www.cbc.ca/freshair/ (go to March 7, 2009). Angie was also recently featured with an article in Briar Patch magazine, a "fiercely independent" magazine (whose byline is "fighting the war on error"!) based out of Saskatchewan. This was a food/farming issue, and Angie again speaking on the topic of this new breed of "urban farmers". www.briarpatchmagazine.com

Fertile Ground CSA featured on CBC Radio

Angie Koch, of Fertile Ground CSA, plus friends and co-farmers Tarrah Young and Caitlin Hall, are featured in this recent CBC documentary "Down to Earth" (description from CBC below). They talk about the "new breed" of young farmers, who are city-raised, university educated, but are choosing to move to the land in search of sustainable ecological farming and organic food production in new and creative ways (e.g Community Supported Agriculture ventures such as Fertile Ground!). Angie will be distributing her 30 member CSA at Little City Farm each Tuesday this summer (from July-October) and we are extremely excited about her venture and this partnership! Following the first documentary, is a short interview with legendary food justice advocate Frances Moore Lappe (author of Diet for a Small Planet, among many other writings) who talks about the current state of the global food system and the future of global food security. DOCUMENTARY: DOWN TO EARTH

Here's one picture of a farmer: tough, weatherbeaten, pitchfork in hand, a bit grim, proud member of a vanishing breed. Here's another picture of a farmer: Thirty years old, five foot two, fresh-faced, female, city-bred. Meet Tarrah Young, proud and very determined member of a NEW breed. Tarrah - and people like her - are real risk takers. They're not starry-eyed back-to-the landers, and they know know what they're up against. Across Canada, the number of farmers under thirty-five has declined by more than 50% in the last ten years. For those who want to loosen the grip of the agribusiness giants, to spurn cheap pesticide-laden imports, and to eat local - this is really bad news. And we all have enough of that! So this morning, venture out with a few of agriculture's young pioneers. Frank Faulk's documentary is called "Down to Earth"

http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/sundayedition_20080505_5659.mp3

FRANCES MOORE LAPPÉ

In the past few weeks, a hungry planet has become dramatically , and suddenly, even hungrier. Food riots have shaken communities as diverse as Austria and Uzbekistan, and as far apart as Egypt and Mexico. The Canadian government pledged fifty million dollars this week to be channeled through the United Nations. Individual Canadians are helping as well. The situation is desperate. Incredibly, Filipino Canadians are buying twenty and forty pound bags of rice and shipping it to relatives back home. And in Montreal, people are desperately trying to send food to their relatives in Haiti. At least six people were killed during riots in that country earlier this month in protests against rising food prices. Frances Moore Lappé has been an activist in the fight against world hunger for thirty seven years, ever since the publication of her blockbuster bestseller, " Diet for a Small Planet". That was in 1971. Ms. Lappé has written sixteen books since then. She is also a co-founder of the Small Planet Institute. Frances Moore Lappé is in our studio in New York this morning. Small Planet Institute: World Hunger Solutions

Diet for a Hungry Planet - Urban Agriculture on CBC Radio One

There was a great short piece on CBC Radio One this morning, as part of The Current's "Diet for a Hungry Planet" series. The show looked at issues around urban chicken keeping including examples of Canadian cities fighting to change bylaws; the history & future of urban agriculture on a global scale; and possible solutions to cities feeding themselves in an attempt help reduce our ecological footprint. As well, the final guest speaker on the show was a co-founder of an exciting new group called the "North American Urban & Periurban Agriculture Alliance". More information on this group can be found through the Ryerson University Food Security program (Toronto).

Below is a short summary of the program, and it can be heard via podcast or from the Radio One site at: http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2008
(and thanks to various friends who called to let us know it was going to be on the CBC today!)

The Current: Part 2

Diet For A Hungry Planet - Urban Agriculture

As part of our ongoing series Diet for a Hungry Planet, we took note of three unassuming chickens causing a disproportionately large stir in Halifax. Their names were Captain Crochet, Bernadette and Chicken. They provide Louise Hanavan with fresh eggs. But they're ruffling the feathers of some of neighbours like Reg Harper. Ms. Hanavan and Mr. Harper explained the situation as they each see it.

The Halifax Regional Municipality allowed the chickens to stay until the end of February 2008, but what happens then is still very much up for debate. The community council held a public meeting on the issue, voicing some conflicting thoughts on chickens.

In January 2008, a similar battle played out in New Westminster, British Columbia. In the end, a family there was told their property was just too small to keep their six chickens.

For most city dwellers, the idea of raising chickens -- or other food -- in your backyard probably just seems quaint; a throwback of sorts. But for The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), it's a key part of a sustainable food system for the future.

In February 2008, the WMO called for greater investment in urban and indoor agriculture as a way of safeguarding food security in the world's mega-cities. Robert Stefanski is a scientific officer with the WMO and explained the thinking behind the proposal.

And according to Sunny Lam, urban farming could make a big difference in the size of your carbon footprint. He's an independent researcher who studies food and environment issues. He looked specifically at Kingston, Ontario and what would happen to its greenhouse gas emissions if more of the city's residents grew their own food.

Some ever-optimistic people look at these various threads and see a future where cities can feed themselves with community governments, food co-ops and even large, commercial market gardens all playing a part.

To get the lay of the land on that idea, we were joined by Joe Nasr, co-founder of the North American Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Alliance who teaches urban agriculture at Ryerson University in Toronto.